40 Shades of Verdant

Last fall, we were in a group that traveled abroad on a Shades of Ireland tour, focused on that country. Previous posts have included highlights from a 3-day London pre-extension. (There was also a 3-day Edinburgh post-extension, details to come. As the name of the trip suggests, the major portion of this trip was an 8-day motor coach (bus) tour through Ireland. This post highlights one of the Ireland's most notable features, it's green.

If you're at all curious about the post title, it's because many authorities suggest that's how many shades of green can be found throughout Ireland. Even though our tour was short and unfortunately didn't cover so many more parts of Ireland, we agreed that the country is very green befitting one of its nicknames, the Emerald Isle.

That term is thought to have originated from When Erin First Rose, a 1795 poem by Irish writer and political activist William Drennan, in which he refers to Ireland's green landscape as the Emerald of Europe. Drennan wasn't referring to gems, but to the country's lush colors. However, the poem was about political problems in Ireland against British rule. While the nickname is still popular, it's most often used by tour companies to attract visitors.

While describing the Irish landscape as multi shades of green has now become commonplace, the story of how this phrase became popular was new to us. 

It's not from any folklore or legend, but stems from a tune written by American country singer, Johnny Cash, who said that he was inspired to write the tune, Forty Shades of Green, while on a road trip in Ireland in 1959 . According to Cash, he was looking at a roadmap of Ireland and while rhyming the names of the towns decided to write about some popular destinations. The song was later included on a 1961 album Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash. In 1963, Cash returned for a 10-night tour of Ireland and 12 venues and played a concert in the National Stadium in Dublin.

But, even before this song, the color green was long associated with Ireland. It's the color teamed with St. Patrick's Day, shamrocks and the branding of just about everything Irish. Many names for shades of green such as kelly, emerald, hunter, forest, moss, and shamrock green come from hedge-bound fields, wild wooded corners, and forested hillsides throughout the country.

In answer to the question, Why are so many shades of green?— the answer is simple.

It rains a lot. Irish weather can be unpredictable as we experienced during the trip. The average number of wet days ranges from 150 days a year along the east and south-east coasts, to about 225 days a year in parts of the west. Grass and vegetation have abundant moisture to keep healthy. 

The Ring of Kerry route covers 111 miles (179 km)

One of the best places to experience many shades of the color green in Ireland is along the Ring of Kerry. The route, one of Ireland’s most famous attractions and considered its most scenic drive, is situated within the Wild Atlantic Way, along the southwest of Ireland. 

It's known for beautiful landscapes, remote beaches, weather-worn cliffs and charming country towns. The looping route follows the coast of the Iveragh Peninsula and measures 179 km (111 miles) in length. The entire route takes about 3-1/2 hours to drive non-stop. Nearly every tour bus in Ireland makes a ritual loop around the ring, just as our tour bus did during this trip.

The Ring of Kerry has been named one of the most magnificent scenic stretches in the world largely because of its rugged coastlines, rolling countrysides and beautiful scenics. On most trips to Ireland, it's a must-see destination wrapped in stunning visual history with diverse views across lush green hills.

The route takes in the towns of Killarney, Beaufort, Killorglin, Glenbeigh, Cahersiveen, Waterville, Caherdaniel, Sneem, and Kenmare. Years ago, Killarney was famously featured on many postcard images. Now that postcards have gone out of fashion it’s become famous as the starting point for the Ring of Kerry.

Since the roadway is narrow, tour buses all travel counter-clockwise so they won't have to pass each other. And, because these roadways are so tight, there were not many stops along the route. Nearly all the scenics in this post were taken from the bus window and may appear blurry in spots.

However, there's always time for a tourist stop like the Kerry Bog Village, where for a nominal fee of less than $1 USD, we had a brief look at how people lived and worked in late 19th century Ireland. This open-air museum is unique as the only one of its kind. It's become a leading tourist trap attraction on the Ring of Kerry between the towns of Killorglin and Glenbeigh. Yes, we did take partake of that discount for Irish Bailey's Coffee. It was a dreary day and a very long bus ride.

Exteriors and interiors of homes at the the Kerry Bog Village

The village featured period thatched cottages, furnished with authentic antiques and figurines. The grounds featured an assortment of rural farm equipment, used by turf cutters and farmers of the time period. It's typical of small communities that carved out a precarious living in the harsh environment of Ireland's peat bogs.

Riding in the Collette Tour Bus

While this day trip involved several hours of bus travel with few stops, other days we stopped to tour castles, a couple of which will be hghlighted in a future post.

Here's a link to Forty Shades of Green the 1959 song by Johnny Cash with lyrics below.

I close my eyes and picture the emerald of the sea

from the fishin boats at Dingle to the shores at Donaghdee

I miss the River Shannon and the folks at Skibbereen

the moorlands and meadows and their Forty Shades of Green

But most of all I miss a girl in Tipperary town

and most of all I miss her lips as soft as eiderdown

I long again to see and do the things we've done and seen

where the breeze is sweet as shalimar and there's Forty Shades of Green

I wish that I could spend an hour at Dublin´s churning suft

I long to watch the farmers drain the bogs and spade the turf

to see again the thatching of the straw the women clean

I´d walk from Cork to Larne to see those Forty Shades of Green

But most of all I miss a girl in Tipperary town

and most of all I miss her lips as soft as eiderdown

I long again to see and do the things we´ve done and seen

where the breeze is sweet as shalimar and there´s Forty Shades of Green